[NumPy-Tickets] [NumPy] #2109: mean() with axis=None causes promotion of floating point types

[NumPy Trac]

#2109: mean() with axis=None causes promotion of floating point types
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 Reporter:  david.warde-farley  |       Owner:  somebody   
     Type:  defect              |      Status:  new        
 Priority:  normal              |   Milestone:  Unscheduled
Component:  numpy.core          |     Version:  1.6.1      
 Keywords:                      |  
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Comment(by david.warde-farley):

 So the problem seems to come from the fact that in
 `numpy/core/src/multiarray/calculation.c`, the divisor is cast to a Python
 float:

 {{{
     obj2 = PyFloat_FromDouble((double)PyArray_DIM(arr,axis));
 }}}

 and then `PyNumber_{True}Divide` causes the promotion of the NumPy scalar
 to float64:

 {{{
 #if defined(NPY_PY3K)
         ret = PyNumber_TrueDivide(obj1, obj2);
 #else
         ret = PyNumber_Divide(obj1, obj2);
 #endif
 }}}

 I've tried to fix this by creating a !NumPy scalar from `PyArray_DIM(arr,
 axis)` but so far been unsuccessful in avoiding the promotion (it also
 happens with complex64, by the way: the mean is promoted to complex128).
 It seems to me that if `PyArray_ISFLOAT(arr)` is true then either the
 divisor should be cast to the correct type before division or the result
 of the division should be cast to the correct type: the latter may be more
 stable.

-- 
Ticket URL: <http://projects.scipy.org/numpy/ticket/2109#comment:1>
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